The Full Belmonte, 5/21/2024
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images/Shutterstock)
Middle East
“The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants on charges of war crimes for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders. President Joe Biden slammed the court's efforts as ‘outrageous,’ saying the move puts the terrorist organization and a top US ally on equivalent footing. If the ICC were to grant an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his defense minister, the decision would make it extremely difficult for them to travel to any of the 124 countries that are party to the court's laws, including top US allies such as Britain and Germany. Notably, France on Monday broke away from its Western allies — including the US, the UK and Italy — to express support for the ICC.” [CNN]
Severe weather
“More than 22 million people in the Midwest are under severe weather threats today as a relentless storm system rips through the region. Large hail, heavy winds and a few tornadoes are possible, forecasts show. The biggest area of concern is concentrated in much of Iowa, northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin and northern Missouri, which are under a Level 4 of 5 threat. Though they are not in the bullseye of the storm, cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Omaha and Madison are also at risk of seeing severe weather. Lower chances of severe storms stretch from Texas to Michigan, including Dallas, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Minneapolis and Detroit.” [CNN]
Trump trial
“The prosecution rested its case against former President Donald Trump on Monday in his criminal hush money trial, which is nearing a conclusion as soon as next week. Trump's ex-lawyer Michael Cohen wrapped up his testimony with an admission that he stole $60,000 from the Trump Organization for a payment he made on Trump's behalf to a tech company. Analysts say this could potentially damage his standing with the jury. Prosecutors have used Cohen to try to convince jurors that Trump falsified business documents to cover up a payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election, which they claim impacted the outcome.” [CNN]
Trump trial fireworks
Screenshot: Trial transcript
“The judge overseeing former President Trump's New York hush-money trial admonished the last defense witness for his reactions while on the stand:
‘Are you staring me down right now?’ Judge Juan Merchan asked Robert Costello, a lawyer who advised Michael Cohen in 2018.
Why it matters: It was one of the most dramatic moments of Trump's criminal trial — now in Week 6 — and led the judge to temporarily clear the courtroom, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
New York Times headline captures the drama.” [Axios]
Trump tightens fundraising gap
President Biden arrives at Joint Base Andrews outside D.C. on Air Force One yesterday. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
“President Biden's political operation raised less than former President Trump and the Republican Party last month, Axios' Erin Doherty writes.
Why it matters: The latest figures show Biden still has a cash advantage. But Trump and the RNC started tightening the gap on Biden's fundraising lead.
The Biden campaign has held a sustained cash advantage over Trump, who started the year at a huge deficit and continues to spend millions to fight his legal battles.
Biden's operation brought in $51 million in April, the campaign said yesterday.
That's well short of the $76 million former President Trump's campaign brought in, along with the Republican Party.
Trump's April fundraising haul was largely driven by his record-breaking $50+ million fundraiser in Palm Beach.” [Axios]
The GOP is trying to correct the narrative on mailed ballots after years of conflicting messages
“Donald Trump has been trying to assure Republican voters that casting ballots by mail and other forms of early voting are ‘all good options.’ But it's going to be challenging for Trump and the Republican National Committee, which he now controls, to reverse the drop-off in mail voting among GOP voters. Read more.
Why this matters:
The push is a striking change for a party that amplified dark rumors about mailed ballots, but it is also seen as a necessary course correction for an election this year that is likely to be decided by razor-thin margins in a handful of swing states.
This time, Republicans say they’re not going to risk leaving ballots behind. Many GOP strategists see mail voting as an advantage in campaigns because it lets them ‘bank’ unreliable votes before Election Day and lowers the risk of turnout plummeting because of bad weather or other unpredictable factors at the polls. Those risks were starkly illustrated during the last presidential election in Arizona, where a machine meltdown on election day led to huge lines and some would-be voters departing in frustration.
The conflicting messages could make it challenging to swiftly reverse the drop-off in mail voting among Republicans. Though Trump has started to recommend mail voting, he frequently bashes it during campaign events and blames it for his 2020 loss. The RNC is also continuing to file lawsuits against various aspects of mail voting around the country. It makes for a confusing message for GOP voters, who have been led to believe that mail voting can’t be trusted.” [AP News]
Introducing Affordable Care Act dental insurance
“The Affordable Care Act extended health insurance to tens of millions of Americans, but President Barack Obama's signature 2010 health care law excluded dental coverage for adults. Now, in a move last month that received little fanfare, the Biden administration finalized a rule that would give states the option of adding adult dental insurance coverage as part of their ACA plans. Under Biden's rule, states have until 2025 to decide whether to mandate that insurers cover dental benefits for adults.” Read more at USA Today
The high-stakes races to watch in four states
“Americans in Georgia, Oregon, Kentucky and Idaho will vote on Tuesday.
These races pose major implications for legal cases facing President Donald Trump and include House races that could shape the balance of power in Congress.
•In Georgia: Two major players indicted alongside Trump in the criminal case will be on the local Fulton County ballot – and the results could put further strain on the already controversy-enmeshed legal proceedings. •Voters in Oregon will select the Democratic and Republican candidates that will face off in a number of general election Congressional races that could determine which party controls the House next year. •In Kentucky's race: A pro-Israel Super PAC spent about $300,000 on an ad campaign bashing Rep. Thomas Massie, a seven-term GOP lawmaker, over his perceived anti-Israel voting record.” [USA Today]
Climate
“Ocean water is rushing miles underneath Antarctica's "Doomsday Glacier," new research shows, meaning global sea level rise projections could be significantly underestimated. The Thwaites Glacier, which already contributes 4% to global sea level rise, holds enough ice to raise sea levels by more than 2 feet. But because it also acts as a natural dam to the surrounding ice in West Antarctica, scientists have estimated its complete collapse could ultimately lead to around 10 feet of sea level rise — a catastrophe for the world's coastal communities. New data helped to create an X-ray of the glacier and could help improve the accuracy of its forecasted timeline.” [CNN]
Florida weatherman's surprise warning
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
“Amid a record-breaking heat wave, a Miami TV weatherman had an urgent message for his viewers over the weekend: Go vote if you want to fight climate change, Axios' Martin Vassolo and Andrew Freedman write.
Why it matters: NBC 6 meteorologist Steve MacLaughlin challenged Florida's climate policies, telling viewers that ‘the most powerful climate-change solution is ... in the palm of your hands: the right to vote.’
That day, Miami's heat index — the ‘feels like’ temperature — set a May record of 112°F.” [Axios]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP)
WORLD NEWS
France and Belgium support ICC request for arrest warrants of Israel and Hamas leaders, in break from Western allies
“France and Belgium released statements supporting the world’s top war crimes court and its chief prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, after Israel and the United States both harshly condemned the effort by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to seek arrest warrants for Israeli officials in connection with the seven-month war in Gaza. Read more.
Why this matters:
Divisions were emerging Tuesday among Israel’s Western allies as France and other European nations said they supported Khan’s decision. France, Belgium and Slovenia’s decisions to back the move deepens Israel’s isolation and splits the West over its approach to Israel and its conduct of the war in Gaza.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the move as disgraceful and antisemitic while U.S. President Joe Biden lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas issued a separate statement denouncing the request to arrest its leaders, accusing Khan of trying to ‘equate the victim with the executioner.’
Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, do not face imminent arrest, but the announcement was a symbolic blow over Israel's involvement in the war in Gaza. The threat of arrest could also make it very difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.” [AP News]
‘Nobody Is Above the Law’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (center) arrives for a party meeting at the Knesset in Jerusalem on May 20.Oren Ben Hakoon/AFP via Getty Images
“Karim Khan, the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), announced on Monday that he is seeking arrest warrants for five leaders involved in the Israel-Hamas war: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant; Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar; Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh; and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the head of Hamas’s military wing.
Khan said his office has ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that these individuals ‘bear criminal responsibility’ for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and he is asking the court to issue warrants for their arrest. In an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Monday, Khan said the three Hamas leaders stand accused of ‘extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention,’ among other charges, during and after the group’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed. The Israeli leaders are accused of ‘causing extermination; causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies; deliberately targeting civilians in conflict,’ among other charges, during its assault on Gaza, where more than 35,500 people have been killed since last October.
‘Nobody is above the law,’ Khan said, indicating that more warrant applications could be issued in the future. An arrest warrant would put Netanyahu in the company of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently the subject of an ICC arrest warrant in connection with Russia’s war in Ukraine. The warrant applications will now go to a pre-trial chamber of the ICC, where a three-judge panel will decide whether to issue them.
The ICC is an independent court endorsed by the United Nations that acts as an avenue of ‘last resort.’ Like the United States, Russia, and China, Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC. The court, however, ruled in 2021 that it has jurisdiction over alleged war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. If warrants are issued, these five individuals could face arrest if they travel to one of the 124 nations that are Rome Statute signatories. Both Sinwar and Masri are believed to be hiding in Gaza, but Haniyeh is based in Qatar (which is also not an ICC member) and regularly travels across the Middle East.
Israel quickly denounced the ICC’s statement. ‘The prosecutor’s position to apply for arrest warrants is in itself a crime of historic proportion to be remembered for generations,’ war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said on Monday, with an Israeli official adding that the ICC’s decision ‘will not deter Israel from defending itself and accomplishing all its just war objectives.’ Hamas also condemned the ruling: ‘The Hamas movement strongly denounces the attempts of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner.’
Other world leaders were quick to criticize the move, including U.S. President Joe Biden, who called arrest warrants against Israeli leaders ‘outrageous.’ This is the first time that the ICC has targeted a close U.S. ally. ‘The decision could permanently damage the court’s tenuous relationship with Washington regardless of whether the arrest warrants on Netanyahu and Gallant move forward, as Khan’s announcement is likely to derail a careful but significant shift in U.S. policy toward the ICC under the Biden administration,’ FP’s Robbie Gramer and Jack Detsch report.
Israel is facing numerous legal challenges over its actions in Gaza over the years. In March 2021, the ICC launched an investigation into possible war crimes committed in Gaza and the West Bank since June 2014. And last December, South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice.” [Foreign Policy]
The World This Week
“Tuesday, May 21: South Korea’s Constitutional Court holds the final hearing in a case accusing the government of not doing enough to tackle climate change.
Iran holds a state funeral for President Ebrahim Raisi.
Preliminary hearings begin against former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo, who was charged with attempting a ‘self-coup.’
Wednesday, May 22: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock hosts her French and Polish counterparts.
Indonesia’s central bank determines its interest rate.
Thursday, May 23: The International Court of Justice delivers an order in Mexico’s case against Ecuador.
The central banks in Turkey and South Korea determine their interest rates.
Biden hosts Kenyan President William Ruto.
Friday, May 24: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hosts Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
Saturday, May 25: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosts Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa.
Sunday, May 26: Lithuania holds its presidential election runoff.” [Foreign Policy]
“Raisi killed in crash. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Iranian state media confirmed on Monday. All eight people aboard the helicopter were killed, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, three other senior officials, and three crew members. They were returning from a visit to Iran’s border with Azerbaijan to help inaugurate a dam with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev when the chopper crashed in Iran’s Dizmar forest. Heavy fog impeded initial search and rescue efforts. It is unclear what caused the crash.
During Raisi’s roughly three-year tenure, Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, bolstered military cooperation with Russia, and pursued more conservative social policies, including the implementation of a strict mandatory hijab law. The 63-year-old leader was thought to have been on the short list of possible successors to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber became acting president on Monday and must organize elections within the next 50 days. ‘While experts said it was unlikely that a liberalizing figure would emerge in either snap elections or Iran’s 2025 presidential election, Raisi’s death could leave a small opening for resurgent protest movements that have persisted under the surface,’ FP’s Jack Detsch reports.” [Foreign Policy]
“Taiwan’s inauguration day. Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te urged Beijing to stop threatening the island during his inauguration speech on Monday. A ‘glorious era of Taiwan’s democracy has arrived,’ Lai said, adding, ‘I hope that China will face the reality of [Taiwan’s] existence, respect the choices of the people of Taiwan, and in good faith, choose dialogue over confrontation.’ Monday marks the ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s third consecutive term in power.
China has long criticized Lai for past statements calling for Taiwan’s independence. ‘No matter what pretext or banner one uses, promoting ‘Taiwan independence’ and secession is doomed to fail,’ Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday. Lai, however, has softened his opinions in recent years, saying he now favors the status quo and sees ‘no plan or need’ to change it.” [Foreign Policy]
“Thwarted insurrection. Congolese security forces stopped an attempted coup on Sunday, in which around 50 people in military uniforms attacked the homes of the prime minister, defense minister, and a senior politician, according to authorities. The suspects also entered the Palais de la Nation, which houses the offices for President Félix Tshisekedi, in Kinshasa. At least six people were killed, including alleged coup leader Christian Malanga, and army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Sylvain Ekenge said around 50 people have been detained, including three U.S. citizens and one British national.
Malanga, who had previously been living in exile in the United States, had called himself the ‘President of New Zaire’ and the head of a government in exile. This was his second time trying to overthrow the presidency, having first aborted an insurrection plan in 2017. Sunday’s coup attempt comes just five months after Tshisekedi won reelection amid mass logistical problems and as he tries to quell an ongoing offensive by Rwandan-backed rebels in eastern Congo.” [Foreign Policy]
“Time to break out your best stationery. Last Friday, France began selling postage stamps that smell like the inside of a bakery. The nearly 600,000 scratch-and-sniff stamps detail a baguette wrapped in blue, white, and red ribbon—all in an effort to celebrate the patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. ‘The baguette, the bread of our daily lives, the symbol of our gastronomy, the jewel of our culture,’ the French postal service wrote on its website. Just remember not to accidentally take a bite.” [Foreign Policy]
The tone of the expressions of anger suggested this was a moment both Benjamin Netanyahu and Joe Biden had been dreading: The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court announced yesterday he’s seeking arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on war-crimes charges over the conflict in Gaza.
Netanyahu said the prosecutor was ‘pouring gasoline on the fires of anti-Semitism,’ while then US president called it ‘outrageous’ and said the US would ‘always stand with Israel against threats to its security.’ European leaders were split, with some welcoming the announcement and others criticizing it.
Yet it seems highly unlikely that Netanyahu, who had asked Biden for help in a conversation last month to make sure the warrants aren’t issued, will ever stand trial.
If ICC judges do approve the warrants, the US president is concerned that it could damage Israel’s willingness to engage in cease-fire talks.
WATCH: The announcement by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan.
The charges against the pair are striking. Netanyahu stands accused of, among other things, starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population.
The Hamas leader is charged with extermination, murder, taking hostages, rape and torture.
Given the ICC statutes, getting them into a courtroom appears next to impossible. The Hague-based body doesn’t permit trials in absentia and relies on its member states to make arrests.
While Israel is not a party to the ICC treaty, the ‘State of Palestine’ is, so in theory some future governing authority in the Gaza Strip, where Sinwar is thought to be in hiding, could turn him over.
Netanyahu can take heart from the ICC case against Vladimir Putin. With China and Russia, as well as the US, among nations that are not treaty signatories, the court has failed to execute its warrant for the Russian leader for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.”— Cagan Koc [Bloomberg]
Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and Yahya Sinwar. Photographer: Menahem Kahana/Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images
“Iran will hold a presidential vote on June 28, following the death of Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash over the weekend. The clerical establishment and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will probably want a person similar to the ultraconservative Raisi, and the Guardian Council, which supervises elections, has in the past made it difficult for reformists.” [Bloomberg]
“In an about face, German officials are ready to support a US plan to leverage future revenue generated from frozen Russian assets, mostly stranded in Europe, to back $50 billion in aid to Ukraine, sources say. Germany’s assent could bring Washington and its allies closer to securing a substantial new aid package for Kyiv and ensuring US engagement regardless of the outcome of November’s presidential election.” [Bloomberg]
“Russia has stepped up attacks in the east of Ukraine, advancing toward the strategically important city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk area as Kyiv rushed troops to bolster defenses on the new northeastern front near Kharkiv. Ukraine’s forces are dealing with a ‘challenging moment’ and are engaged in a ‘hard fight,’ US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters yesterday after a virtual meeting with counterparts supporting Ukraine.” [Bloomberg]
“Taiwanese opposition lawmakers are pushing a bill that would expand their powers at the expense of the new president, prompting demonstrations by his supporters outside the legislature. Members of the China-leaning Kuomintang today launched the final steps toward passing a law that would require President Lai Ching-te to deliver an address to them every year, appear separately to answer questions and provide a range of documents; it would also allow officials to be jailed if they are found lying to the legislature.” [Bloomberg]
Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers protest today in Taipei. Photographer: Lam Yik Fei/Bloomberg
“A new South African opinion poll suggested former President Jacob Zuma’s new party is set to become the third largest after May 29 elections and the ruling African National Congress will fall well short of reclaiming its national majority.” [Bloomberg]
“UK voters regard the ruling Conservatives as almost as likely to raise taxes as the opposition Labour Party, a poll found, blunting a Tory attack line as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attempts to reel in Labour’s lead before a general election expected this year.” [Bloomberg]
“Newly elected Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is expected to prioritize addressing the Caribbean nation’s low tax take, using his landslide victory and a strong economy to face down any social discontent and push ahead with fiscal reform.” [Bloomberg]
Neuralink seeks second patient
Noland Arbaugh, the first Neuralink patient, during an ABC News interview that aired last week. Screenshot: ABC
“The FDA cleared Neuralink — Elon Musk's brain implant startup — to insert its chip in another patient, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim writes.
Why it matters: It's another step forward for brain-computer interface devices that companies hope will someday treat neurological disorders.
Neuralink is taking applications for another patient with quadriplegia to test whether the device can allow a person to do tasks like control a phone and computer.
The first patient, Noland Arbaugh, told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the device gave him the ability to have nearly full control over a computer using only his thoughts.” [Axios]
Scarlett Johansson vs. OpenAI
Scarlett Johansson attends the White House Correspondents' Dinner in D.C. last month. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
“Many people think one of OpenAI's new voices for ChatGPT sounds awfully like Scarlett Johansson in the AI romance movie "Her." It turns out she does, too — and she has lawyered up.
Why it matters: The dispute between the maker of ChatGPT and a performer famous for representing AI will further spook creative artists already suspicious that AI could dilute the value of their work, Axios' Scott Rosenberg writes.
The big picture: OpenAI announced yesterday it was putting a "pause" on offering a voice for ChatGPT known as "Sky" that users have often noted sounds like the AI assistant Johansson played in the 2013 film.
In a statement last night, Johansson said she turned down an offer from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last September to use her voice for ChatGPT.
Johansson said she was ‘shocked, angered and in disbelief’ to hear how much the AI voice resembled hers.
She added that OpenAI hit ‘pause’ on Sky after her lawyers demanded the company ‘detail the exact process’ it used to develop the voice.
The intrigue: Johansson claimed Altman made the case last year that her voice would be ‘comforting to people’ and ‘could bridge the gap between tech companies and creatives.’
Johansson said Altman contacted her agent two days before the GPT-4o demo asking her to reconsider, but the system was released ‘before we could connect.’
Altman said: ‘The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson's, and it was never intended to resemble hers.’
‘We cast the voice actor behind Sky's voice before any outreach to Ms. Johansson. Out of respect for Ms. Johansson, we have paused using Sky's voice in our products. We are sorry to Ms. Johansson that we didn't communicate better.’” [Axios]
“Red Lobster filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing a misguided "endless shrimp" promotion as one factor contributing to its massive debt, Axios Pro's Richard Collings reports.” [Axios]
Jarring generation gap
Illustration: Tiffany Herring/Axios
“From values to voting to happiness to economics, America has more than a red-blue divide: It has a massive generational divide.
Why it matters: If you're trying to run a successful organization or sell a product or service, you'd better understand these nuances.
Zoom in: In his Six-Chart Sunday newsletter, Washington strategist Bruce Mehlman spells out startling differences that have emerged between older and younger generations across a striking array of topics:
Deck: Public Opinion Strategies
1. Values: Members of Gen Z are less than half as likely than Baby Boomers to say patriotism, belief in God or having children are ‘very important,’ according to a recent Public Opinion Strategies polling report, ‘Key Data by Generation.’
Another Zoomer casualty: Believing America is the ‘best place to live.’
When it comes to religion, millennials and Gen Zers are much more likely to consider themselves atheists, agnostic or ‘nothing in particular.’
2. Economics: Americans 18-29 were more likely to say they have a positive impression of socialism (44% favorable) than capitalism (40%), a 2022 Pew poll found.
Just 28% of seniors viewed socialism favorably.
3. Political parties: Millennials and members of Gen Z are twice as likely to consider themselves political independents (52%) as the oldest generation of Americans (26%), according to Gallup data.
Mehlman, who writes the "Age of Disruption" Substack, told us younger voters are shunning ‘the two tired parties.’
Reproduced from Pew Research Center
4. The Middle East: Americans under 30 are twice as likely to sympathize with Palestinians than the U.S. population as a whole, according to Pew data from February.
Mehlman told us: ‘I got the idea [for this "Generation Gaps" mashup] when reading a Washington Post story showing the favorite music genres by generation that I ended up not even using!’
‘I was disappointed that 18 to 29-year-olds were one of the few demographics not loving 'classic rock,' and started a Sunday piece entitled, 'The Kids Are Not Alright.'‘ [Axios]
Scientists solved the puzzle of how cockroaches came to rule the world.
The German cockroach is the world’s most widespread type. (Schellhorn/ullstein bild/Getty Images)
“The mystery: The German cockroach is often an unwelcome guest in restaurants and hotels — maybe even your home. But, for decades, no one knew its natural habitat.
The answer: Its home is with us. This cockroach branched off from its closest cousin about 2,100 years ago and adapted to living in our buildings, a new study found.”
Read this story at Washington Post
Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark injures ankle
“Caitlin Clark, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, hit the ground in obvious pain during Monday night's 88-84 loss to the Connecticut Sun in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever guard badly rolled her left ankle midway through the second quarter of her fourth WNBA game, stumbling awkwardly and losing her footing as she prepared to go around a screen.” Read more at USA Today
Indiana Fever teammates help Caitlin Clark (22) off the court after an apparent injury.
Emilee Chinn, Getty Images